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Newcastle Hospitals Archives Finding Aid
This collection includes the records of the Royal Newcastle Hospital (1866+), Wallsend District Hospital and Newcastle Western Suburbs Hospital (1890+). Although the hospital records that have survived go back to the 1860s, it is interesting to reflect that the first hospital at Newcastle had been built over fifty years earlier by an eccentric Knight and convict adventurer, Sir Henry Brown Hayes (1762-1832). In 1801 Sir Henry had been transported to New South Wales for kidnapping an Irish heiress, Mary Pike, and seven years later he was sent from Sydney to toil in the Newcastle coal mines. It was during his Newcastle sojorn that Sir Henry built Bachelor's Hall which became the first hospital after Hayes left Newcastle about 1810. The Hospital Archives are extremely valuable for the history of medicine and we find, for example, in 1892, when a hospital was first opened at Wallsend that operations were performed on a table in the Hospital's Board Room!
Access
Please note: Access to the Hunter Area Health Service records is restricted for the following periods, from the date of their creation.
- Patient identifying medical records: 110 years (Access Direction 7)
- Staff and personnel related records: 50 years (Access Direction 162)
- Other records: 30 years
- Publications and Annual Reports: nil
Royal Newcastle Hospital
B10734-93a - Hospital Board and Committees minutes, 1866 -1959
A6058 - Hospital Board minutes, 1972 - 1981 (Restricted access)
B10830a-36 - Annual reports, 1887 - 1982
B10793b - Annual General Meetings minutes and reports, 1934 - 1963
B11887 - Committee of Management minute book, 1899 - 1905
B10793c - Building Sub-Committee minutes, 1946 - 1958
B10794 - Agenda Book, 1932 - 1936
B10795-802 - Letter books (out), 1869 - 1911
B10803-12 - Patient registers, 1875 - 1916, 1944 - 1951
B10813-30 - Operations registers, 1892 - 1949
B13647 - Press clipping books, 1934 - 1965
A6523(v) - Medical officers rosters, 1937, 1938
B11888 - Cash book, 1939 - 1940
B11889-91 - Salaries books, 1919 - 1928
B11892-93 - Matrons' salaries books, 1919 - 1930
B11894-95 - Nursing salaries books, 1930 - 1940
B11896-99 - Wages book, 1918 - 1940
A6334 - List of Matrons and Directors of Nursing of the Royal Newcastle Hospital, 1871 - 1972
By-laws of the Newcastle Hospital with a scheme for training nurses… 1898
Rules, regulations, and by-laws 1907, 1916, 1920, 1931
A report on hospital administration, by K.W. Starr, 1937
Copy of "An ether anaesthesia at Stroud 1847…", by O.F. James and P. Vidler, from Anaesthesia and intensive care, August, 1979
Journal article "Newcastle pioneer in X-Rays" by Morris Owen. Reprinted from The Journal of the College of Radiologists in Australia, [1965?]
Copy of a letter and University News article on the transfer of the Royal Newcastle Hospital records to the University of Newcastle, September 1984
A7064 - Newcastle Hospital by the Beach : Some Photographic Memories, edited by Noel Carter, 1990
B13643-64b - Newcastle Hospital Register 1817 - 1915, by B.W. Champion, privately published 1950
A6054-58 - See also: Royal Newcastle Hospital and Newcastle Medical School files, 1957 - 1981
Wallsend District Hospital, formerly Wallsend Mining District Hospital
Annual Reports:
A7219(i) - Annual Reports and Balance Sheet : 1915, 1926, 1928, 1936 - 1973.
B12422 - Annual Reports, 1934 - 1949.
B12423 - Annual Reports, 1950 - 1965.
B12424 - Annual Reports, 1966 - 1975.
B12425 - Annual Reports, 1976 - 1982.
B12426 - Annual Reports, 1983 - 1986.
Board and Committee Records:
B12427 - Minutes of Board, Committees and Subcommittees and Annual Meetings, 1934 - 1939.
B12428 - Minutes of Board, Committees and Subcommittees and Annual Meetings, 1940 - 1946.
B12429 - Minutes of Board, Committees and Subcommittees and Annual Meetings, 1947 - 1955.
B12430 - Minutes of Board, Committees and Subcommittees and Annual Meetings, 1956 - 1963.
B12431 - Minutes of Board, Committees and Subcommittees and Annual Meetings, 1964 - 1970.
Statutes and Rules:
A7207(vii) - Wallsend Mining District Hospital Rules and Regulations, 1924.
A7207(viii) - Wallsend Mining District Hospital By-Laws, Standing Orders and Regulations, 1929.
A7207(ix) - Model By-Laws and Model Rules for Hospitals, c.1930s.
A7207(x) - Nurses' Registration Act, 1924 : Act: Regulations and Syllabus of Study, 1927.
A7207(xi) - Model By-Laws and Rules for Public Hospitals, c.1969.
A7207(xii) - Public Hospitals Act, 1929, No.8 (reprinted 1978).
Medical Executive Records:
B12408 - Medical Executive, correspondence, 1964 - 1979.
Correspondence and related records:
A7209(i) - The Pettinger Wing, The Long Battle (correspondence), 1960 - 1977.
A7209(ii) - The Pettinger Wing, Opening etc., 1978.
Nursing Records:
B12420 - Nursing Trainees' Register, 1931 - 1948.
B12421 - Nursing Trainees' Register, 1948 - 1958.
B12413 - Nurses Training Register, 1958 - 1966.
B12414 - Nursing Procedures and Instruction Manual, Newcastle and Hunter Valley Region, c.1970s.
B12415 - Home Nursing and Ailments of Children, A Handbook for Mothers by W. Howard James, 1912.
B12416 - Nurses Training School Roll Book, 1941 - 1961.
B12417 - Nurses Lecture Roll Book, 1961 - 1969.
B12418 - Nurses Lecture Roll Book, 1969 - 1975.
A7212(iv) - Programmes of Nurses' Graduation Ceremony, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985.
A7212(v) - Nurses' Association, correspondence, 1978 - 1986.
A7212(vi) - Nash's Folly, The Official Newspaper of the Wallsend District Hospital, Vol. 1, May, 1987 - August, 1988.
Staff Records:
A7206(ii) - Wallsend District Hospital Staff Handbook (2 copies), c.1980s.
A7206(iii) - Wallsend Hospital, Xmas Concert Souvenir Programme, 1950.
Community Health Records:
A7207(iv) - Here's Health Wallsend! - some of the findings of the Wallsend Community and Health Project (2 copies), 1988.
A7207(v) - A Community Health Programme for the Hunter Region, Volumes 1 and 2, Robin Stevenson and Margaret Hutchinson, October, 1983.
A7207(vi) - Newcastle West Community Geriatric Assessment Service, documentation, 1984 - 1985.
Disaster Planning Records:
A7212(ii) - New South Wales Disaster Medical Plan, Department of Health NSW, March, 1985.
A7212(iii) - NSW Ambulance Service, Hunter Region Major Incident, Disaster Plan, Department of Health NSW, March, 1985.
Newspaper Clippings:
A7217(ii) - Newspaper clippings concerning Wallsend Hospital (bound), 1976 - 1985.
Plans:
M4409 - Architect's perspective drawing of Wallsend Mining District Hospital, c1940s.
M4415 - Ground plan of Wallsend District Mining Hospital, 3rd August, 1892.
M4416 - Ground plan of renovations to old Nurses' Home, Wallsend District Hospital, 11th August, 1965.
M4417 - Ground plan of Nurses' Home extensions, Wallsend District Hospital, August, 1963.
M4418 - Sundry ground plans of renovations, extensions and new buildings of the Hospital, [undated].
Photographs and hospital heritage material:
M4379-M4401 - Photographs of Wallsend District Hospital, showing various locations, staff and patients, 1970s.
M4402 - Photograph of members of the Wallsend Hospital Committee, 1931.
M4403 - Panoramic photograph of Hospital complex, early 1930s.
M4404 - Aerial photograph of Hospital complex and surrounds, 1940s.
M4405 - Aerial photograph of Hospital complex and surrounds, 1960s.
M4406 - Photograph of the President and Members of the Board of the Wallsend Mining District Hospital, c1920s.
M4407 - Photograph of unidentified bearded man, c1910.
M4408 - Photograph of Edward Charlton, J.P., President 1908 - 1923, c1920s.
M4410 - Panoramic photograph of Wallsend Mining District Hospital 1913 - 1938, 1938.
M4411 - Photograph of the original Wallsend Mining District Hospital 1892 - 1912, c1940s - 1950s.
M4412 - Photograph.
M4413 - Cartoon signed by Hospital staff, depicting Mussolini, Hitler and Goering under guard by an Australian soldier, early 1940s.
M4414 - Photograph of Testimonial presented to Isabella Dorothy Charlton by the Hospital Committee of Management, 23rd January, 1907.
M4419 - Photograph of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, leaving Wallsend District Hospital, November, 1934 (?).
B12436 - Photograph Album.
A7220(i) - Photographs.
A7220(ii) - Wallsend District Hospital History file.
A7220(iii) - Award of Merit to Wallsend Branch of United Hospital Auxiliaries of NSW, 1972.
A7220(iv) - In the Beginning This Was the Wallsend Mining District Hospital [brochure detailing Hospital's history to encourage donations for a new Wing]. (2 copies, early 1970s).
A7220(v) - Hospitals' Association of NSW Certificate of Service awarded to Alexander William Elliott.
A7220(vi) - Tin containing medallions and badges.
A7220(vii) - Wallsend District Hospital, Long Service Badge (2 badges).
A7220(viii) - Trowel used by K.G. Booth, M.L.A., for completion of Pettinger Complex of Wallsend District Hospital, 1977.
Newcastle and Northumberland Benevolent Society, later Newcastle Western Suburbs Hospital
B7985-5a - Annual reports, 1886 - 1908
B7985b - Annual reports, 1909 - 1932
B7986 - Annual reports, 1910 - 1932
B7987 - Press clipping book, 1892 - 1898
B7967 - Minute book, 1888 - 1891
B7968 - Minute book, 1891 - 1894
B7969 - Minute book, 1895 - 1900
B7970 - Minute book, 1900 - 1907
B7971 - Minute book, 1907 - 1911
B7972 - Board attendance book (including addresses), 1923 - 1948
B7973 - Asylum and Maternity Hospital admission and discharge book, 1887 - 1899 (includes Cash Book entries, 1920 - 1921)
B7974 - Admission and discharge book, 1899 - 1903
B7975 - Admission and discharge book, 1903 - 1907
B7976 - Admission and discharge book, 1907 - 1911
B7977 - Admission and discharge book, 1912 - 1921
B7978 - Index to admission and discharge books, 1898 - 1932
B7979 - Index to admission and discharge books, 1926 - 1940
B7980 - Maternity admissions book, 1893 - 1903
B7980a - Maternity admissions book, 1912 - 1922
B7981 - Maternity admissions book, 1922 - 1930
B7981a - Maternity admissions book, 1930 - 1935
B7982 - Maternity admissions book, 1935 - 1941
B7983 - Outdoor relief journal, 1918 - 1932
B7984 - Visitors book, 1890 - 1938
SubjectWallsend District HospitalNewcastle Western Suburbs HospitalNewcastle and Northumberland Benevolent SocietyRoyal Newcastle HospitalWallsend Mining District HospitalCollection Royal Newcastle HospitalSpecial Collections Finding Aidsa tag or press ESC to cancel